You found the track, you paid for it, and the files are in your downloads folder: the master, the stems, the MIDI and a transfer agreement with your name on it. The track is yours. Now comes the part nobody explains: how do you actually get it out into the world?

This guide walks through every step between purchase and release day, whether you pitch the track to a label or release it yourself. None of it is complicated, but the order matters, and a few small mistakes can delay a release by weeks.

Step 1: Keep your paperwork safe

Your transfer agreement is your proof of ownership. Labels and distributors can ask who owns a recording, especially when a new artist name appears, and the agreement is your answer. Save a copy somewhere other than your downloads folder.

If a label, distributor or collecting society needs something extra, such as a signed confirmation of the transfer or a split sheet showing the original producer holds no share, the producer is contractually required to sign it on request. On Ghost Producer World, that obligation is part of every sale.

Step 2: Decide between a label and self-release

You have two routes, and you should decide before you do anything else, because a label will want an unreleased track.

  • Pitch it to a label. A label adds credibility, promotion and access to its audience. It takes longer, and the label decides the release date. If you want to try this first, read how to get signed to a dance music label.
  • Release it yourself. You control the date and keep everything, but promotion is up to you. The rest of this guide covers this route.

A common approach: pitch the track to two or three labels that fit its sound, give them a few weeks, and self-release if nobody bites.

Step 3: Prepare your release assets

Before you open any distributor, have these ready:

  • The final master as a WAV file. You already have it.
  • Cover art at 3000 × 3000 pixels, the size most distributors ask for. No blurry photos, no web addresses and no logos you don't own.
  • Your artist name, spelled exactly the same way everywhere. A different spelling can create a second artist profile on streaming services.
  • The track title and mix name. Beatport's own metadata guidance says: "Is your track an extended mix? If so be sure to include that in the mix name so DJs know!"
  • The genre that matches where DJs will look for it.

One small check that's easy to forget: open the WAV's file properties and make sure the embedded metadata (title, artist, comments) shows your details, not anything left over from the producer's export.

Make the most of the stems

You bought more than a stereo file. With the stems and MIDI you can make a radio edit for streaming, a DJ tool or intro edit for your own sets, a short loop for social media, or a remix package for another artist. Releasing the extended mix and a radio edit together is a simple way to serve both DJs and playlists.

Step 4: Get an ISRC

An ISRC is the International Standard Recording Code, a unique ID for the recording. Stores and streaming services use it to track sales and plays and pay you correctly. Many distributors create one for you when you upload, so check your distributor's upload form first. If you want to issue your own in the US, the US ISRC Agency charges a one-time $95 fee for a registrant prefix.

Step 5: Choose a distributor

A distributor sends your track to Spotify, Apple Music, TikTok and the other platforms. What matters most for dance music is whether it also delivers to Beatport, the store DJs buy from. Not every distributor does, and the ones that do have different conditions:

  • DistroKid offers Beatport as a paid add-on: "Beatport distribution costs $9.99 a month," and your release must be in the Electronic genre.
  • Ditto asks you to set up a Beatport label first, and says it takes "around 14 days for your tracks to be processed by our team and approved by Beatport."
  • Free streaming-focused distributors such as SoundOn, TikTok's distribution platform, are a simple way to get onto Spotify, Apple Music and TikTok without paying. Check whether yours covers Beatport before you rely on it for DJs.

If you bought your track on Ghost Producer World, your dashboard links each purchase to a release checklist that walks through this step.

Step 6: Set the right release date

Don't release tomorrow. Two rules shape your timeline:

  • Spotify: "If you pitch an unreleased song at least 7 days before release, we'll add it to your followers' Release Radar playlists." You can only pitch one song at a time, so pick your strongest.
  • Your distributor: some require a minimum lead time. Ditto, for example, lets you choose a release date "at least 2 weeks from the day you upload it."

Three to four weeks between upload and release day is a comfortable target. It gives the stores time to process, gives you time to pitch to Spotify's editors, and gives you time to prepare promotion.

Step 7: Register the song with your collecting society

Streaming and radio generate two kinds of income: royalties for the recording, paid through your distributor, and royalties for the composition, paid through a performing rights organisation (PRO) such as PRS, BMI or ASCAP. To collect the second kind, you register the song as its writer.

Because the purchase transferred the composition to you, you register it in your name. PRS, for example, asks for the work title, its duration and each writer's agreed share. In the US, BMI says that "registering your songs with BMI is absolutely free." The original producer has no share and is not entitled to register the song.

Register before release day, so the first plays are matched to your registration.

Step 8: Release it, then release again

One release rarely changes a career. What builds momentum is a steady rhythm of releases that keep you in front of algorithms, DJs and promoters. We cover why in why DJs need to release music every 45 days.

On release day, play the track in your sets, send it to DJs who play your genre, post short clips made from the stems, and update your profiles. Then start preparing the next one.

Common questions

Can I change the track before I release it?

Yes. You own it and you have the stems and MIDI, so you or your engineer can edit, extend or rearrange it. You can also ask the producer for paid changes when you buy.

Do I have to credit the producer?

No. The track is released under your name. The producer agreed in writing not to claim it.

Do I need a label to get on Beatport?

Not necessarily. Some distributors deliver independent releases to Beatport, either as a paid extra or after you set up your own label with them. Check the conditions before you upload.

How long until the track is live?

It depends on the distributor and the stores. Plan for at least two weeks, and longer if you want to pitch to Spotify's editors or set up a Beatport label.

Find your next release

Every track on Ghost Producer World comes with the master, the stems, the MIDI and a transfer agreement in your name, so it's ready for every step above. Browse the catalogue, or read how to buy an exclusive track first.

Sources

Checked October 17, 2026.